A Comparison of Earthquake Early Warning Features on Smartphones: Domestic Brands Surge Ahead, While Apple and Samsung Remain Silent?

A Comparison of Earthquake Early Warning Features on Smartphones: Domestic Brands Surge Ahead, While Apple and Samsung Remain Silent?Recent frequent earthquakes have highlighted the importance of earthquake early warning systems. A late-night earthquake recently underscored this for Xiao Lei in Beijing, whose Xiaomi phone automatically issued an imminent earthquake alert, giving him crucial advance warning

A Comparison of Earthquake Early Warning Features on Smartphones: Domestic Brands Surge Ahead, While Apple and Samsung Remain Silent?

Recent frequent earthquakes have highlighted the importance of earthquake early warning systems. A late-night earthquake recently underscored this for Xiao Lei in Beijing, whose Xiaomi phone automatically issued an imminent earthquake alert, giving him crucial advance warning. However, reactions from others on his social media feed revealed a stark divide: users of domestic brands like Huawei and Xiaomi showcased their phones' automatic alerts, while users of Apple and Samsung phones largely reported no such warnings. What accounts for this difference?

Domestic smartphone manufacturers have aggressively integrated earthquake early warning features. Mainstream brands like Huawei, Xiaomi, and OPPO have partnered deeply with China's national earthquake warning system, directly embedding the functionality into the phone's core operating system, much like a system update. Users don't need to download any apps; simple settings adjustments suffice, with alerts even overriding silent mode, using jarring alarms and bright flashes to rouse users from sleep. This deep integration ensures timely and reliable warnings, maximizing user safety.

In contrast, Samsung's earthquake warning feature appears more passive. While some Samsung models offer it within "Security and emergency situation" settings, the process is cumbersome, and user feedback reports delays, missed alerts, and inconsistent performance in certain regions. Xiao Lei's three-year-old Galaxy S22 Ultra (updated to OneUI 6.1) exemplifies this: it has the feature, but it's disabled by default, a fact he only discovered due to the recent seismic activity.

Apple's earthquake warning feature is even more muted. While Apple phones include a "Government Alerts" function encompassing Amber Alerts in the US and earthquake warnings in Japan, this function remains dormant in mainland China. Apple's lack of partnership with the Chinese earthquake network means the warning toggle is simply absent from the system, even with the latest software updates.

This disparity stems from differences in the depth of technological collaboration and system design philosophies. Domestic manufacturers better understand the needs of Chinese users, particularly in earthquake-prone regions like Sichuan and Yunnan, where reliance on these warnings is extremely high. They often make the feature default and even coordinate with local seismological bureaus to ensure accuracy and timeliness. As one netizen aptly summarized, "Android users were woken by their phones, Apple users by their friends' posts."

Apple and Samsung, focusing on global users, rely on national "Government Alerts" services. In China, this means using third-party apps or WeChat mini-programs. This is analogous to using an international courier for domestic deliveryit works, but it's far less efficient than local services like SF Express or JD.com. Apple's adherence to a "government partnership" model clashes with China's reliance on private sector integration, resulting in a disconnect between international standards and domestic practices.

If your phone lacks a built-in earthquake warning function, don't panic. Here are three alternatives:

Method 1: WeChat Mini-Program (Free but limited)

Search for the "China Earthquake Networks Center" mini-program, enable location and notification permissions. This method requires no app download, integrating directly with WeChat notifications, but only triggers loud alarms for estimated magnitudes 5.0 and only displays banner notifications on Apple phones, lacking full-screen alerts.

Method 2: Alipay Mini-Program (For the lazy)

Search for "Earthquake Warning," enable location, and set three monitoring points. Alerts appear in the notification bar but lack loud alarms (unless intensity 5).

Method 3: Download an Earthquake Warning App

Apps like "Earthquake Early Warning" (Chengdu High-tech Zone Disaster Reduction Institute) and "Emergency Earthquake Information" (Sichuan Earthquake Administration) provide pop-up alerts, alarms, and shelter maps.

Finally, even with a built-in warning system, user cooperation is crucial. Disabled location services or restricted notifications render the feature useless. Regardless of phone brand, check your settings and enable earthquake alerts for your safety. In natural disasters, every second counts. Learn earthquake safety procedures and prepare accordingly.